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Sri Lanka


Located in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is a beautiful island, which offers an intoxicating blend of culture and history, a laid back atmosphere, wonderful beaches and much much more. The island has had a tumultuous history, and occupation by the Indians, Portuguese, Dutch and British has left indelible marks on the country, giving it a rich and varied culture, as well as some stunning architecture and monuments. Away from this, there are pristine palm fringed beaches, lush mountains, and unspoilt areas, all of which combined to make Marco Polo describe the island as one of the best in the world. In recent times, however, Sri Lanka has been subject to political upheaval and horrific natural disasters. The Tamil minority in the North and East of the country, wanting a separate state following the birth of the Republic in 1972, have waged a pretty much constant terrorist war ever since, though this does not impact on the regions most visited by tourists. The tsunami in 2004 had devastating consequences for Sri Lanakd, and many people dies, and many coastal communities wiped out, However, Sri Lanka is back on its feet, and visitors to the country can be assured of a warm welcome and a holiday to remember..


Cities and places within Sri Lanka
Fast Facts
Capital City: Colombo (commercial) though official capital is Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte.
Population: 19.4 million of which around 2.2 million live in Colombo.
Area: 25,299 sq miles
Geography: Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean off the south east coast of India (Tamil Nadu state), 550 miles north of the equator.   There are hills and mountains in the central and southern parts of the country, and the rest is comprised of fairly flat coastal plains.  
Climate: Sri Lanka has a tropical climate, with the upland areas being cooler and more temperate and the coastal areas cooled down by the sea breezes. Monsoon season is between April and July and December and January.
Language: Sinhala, Tamil and English
Currency: Sri Lanka Rupee Current rate £1 = LKR231.40
Time: GMT+5.5 hours
Visa Requirements: : British visitors to Sri Lanka do not need a visa, though they must be in possession of an outbound ticket


Getting To Sri Lanka
By Air
The National airline of Sri Lanka is Sri Lankan Airlines, which operates direct flights from the UK to Colombo, the only airline to do so. Flight time from the UK to Colombo is around 12 hours. Flights are available from a range of UK airports, including London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Newcastle. Other airlines operating non direct flights to Sri Lanka include Martinair Holland NV, Royal Jordanian, Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airways, Austrian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways.


Getting Around Sri Lanka
By Air
There are daily flights from Colombo’s Ratmalana domestic airport to other smaller airports around the country, including Batticaloa, Gal Oyal, Trincomalee and Palali. 
 
By Rail
All tourist destinations are linked by train with Colombo, but first class carriages, dining cars and air conditioning are not standard on all routes. There is an intercity express service between Colombo and Kandy, which is the only fast service – other routes make for leisurely journeys. There are currently no rail services to Jaffna in the north, due to political disruption.
 
By Road
There is a reasonably good bus network throughout Sri Lanka, though driving can be erratic! It is possible to hire a car, though it is advisable to hire a car with a driver rather than drive yourself. Taxis are available in major cities, otherwise public transport is restricted to motorised rickshaws.

Top Ten Things to Do and See in Sri Lanka
  1. KANDY
72 miles north of Colombo, Kandy is a pleasant naturally fortified town, and home to some of the country’s most treasured cultural sites. It features on the itinerary of all visitors to Sri Lanka, as it is home to one of the greatest historical sites in the country, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, or Dalada Maligawa. It was brought to Sri Lanka back in the 4th Century AD and has ever since been the symbol of sovereignty for rulers of the country, and kept in a magnificent shrine. Kandy is also home to age old traditional arts, crafts, customs and rituals.
 
  1. SIGIRiYA
Sigiriya, or Lion Rock, is one of the main tourist sites in Sri Lanka, as well as being a World Heritage Site. It is a 500m high rock, which came to prominence in Sri Lanka’s history when the then King moved the seat of power here from Anuradhapura, and it remained the capital for some 17 years. You can climb the rock (be sure not to do this in the heat of the day), and halfway up there are some stunning frescoes of the “heavenly maidens”. 
 
  1. DAMBULLA
North of Kandy lies Dambulla, a town which was constructed around a 500ft high rock mass, which like Sigiriya, is also a World Heritage site. You can some tremendous views from the top of the rock, and there is also a complex of five caves which house a rock temple. Carved out from the rock of the first cave is a recumbent Buddha, some 47ft long. There are also numerous frescoes. In the second of the five caves, there are 150 lifesize statues of the gods as well as many images of Buddha.
 
  1. GALLE
Located on the South coast of Sri Lanka, Galle is both an ancient port town which still bears the signs of the Dutch presence, but at the same time a bustling commercial and trading centre, and the administrative capital of the south of the country. There are some excellent swimming beaches, as well as the World Heritage protected Dutch “Star” Fort and the Groote Kerk (Dutch Church), and Dutch government house. Galle is also famous for its gem polishing and ebony carvings, and also for the turtles that come and lay eggs on the beach here.
 
  1. BEACHES
Sri Lanka boasts some excellent beaches, which provide the ideal base for a relaxing break after touring the sites of the centre of the country. Just north of Colombo and in easy reach of the international airport are several west coast beaches, the best known of which are Negombo, Marawila, Seeduwa, Waikkal, and Uswetakeiyawa. There are plenty of other attractions in the area, including old Catholic churches, canals and lagoons. Mount Lavinia, which is so close to the city it is almost a suburb, has an excellent beach and what is probably the best known hotel in the country. South of Colombo are the beaches and resorts of Beruwela and Wadduwa, and south of Bentota (across the Bentota River from Beruwela) are the popular resorts or Hikkaduwa, Induruwa, Ahungalla and Kosgoda. There are coral reefs off the beaches of HIkkaduwa, making this a popular place for divers and snorkellers.   Further round the coast, close to Galle, there are other resorts, and there are also pristine which sand beaches on the east coast, including at Unawatuna, Koggala and Hambantota. North of Tricomalee are more excellent beaches – Deadman’s Cave, Sober and Pigeon Islands, and Marble Bay are some of the best. There is great surfing at Kalkudah and Pasekuday, on the southern section of the east coast, and the surf is best between April and October.
 
  1.  PINNAWELA
Something that features on most tourist itineraries in Sri Lanka is the elephant orphanage at Pinnawela, which has been rescuing and breeding elephants for over 30 years. Starting with seven orphans in 1975, there are now second generation elephants that were born here. As well as being geared towards tourism, the centre also has a reputation for being a centre of education and conservation, and there is a scientific breeding programme in operation.
 
 
  1. RELIGIOUS SITES
There are many religious sites dotted around Sri Lanka – Buddhist temples, hindu temples, mosques and old Dutch Catholic churches can be found all over the country. Notable amongst these are Kelani Rajamaha Viharaya, located 6 miles from Fort, also the Gangaramaya Bhikku Training Centre in Colombo, and the Purana Viharaya at Hendala, on the road between Colombo and Negombo. Hindu temples in Colombo include the Sri Siva Subramania Swami Kovil, the Pettah and Kochikade Kotahena. Also worth visiting are the Davatagaha Mosque in Colombo and the Afar Jumma Mosque in the Pettah
 
  1. COLONIAL HISTORY
The history of Sri Lanka is inextricably linked with the British occupation of the coastal ports, which happened at the end of the 18th Century. Once occupied, the British renamed the island Ceylon and immediately set about changing the face of part of the country. Tea plantations were set up in 1870s, and still exist today in the hill country around Nuwara Eliya, and many of the houses that were built for the estate managers are now boutique hotels. In Nuwara Eliya, the British established a resort complete with English style gardens, and farmed produce such as strawberries, stocked the rivers with trout and introduced golf and horseracing, making it a home from home for those who were running the tea estates of the region. The British also introduced the railway network, still operational today. They also introduced something they may wish they hadn’t given Sri Lanka’s obsession with it, and success at it – cricket! You will see cricket played wherever there is an open space in Sri Lanka – surely the greatest legacy of British colonial times of them all!
 
  1. JAFFNA
240 miles north of Colombo, in the far north of the country is the city and port of Jaffna, famous for its Hindu temples, Dutch forts, and beaches, the best of which is Casuarina Beach, though there are no resorts to speak of. Most of the population of Jaffna is Tamil, therefore there are more in the way of Hindu Temples than elsewhere in the country. The landscape around Jaffna is very different from the rest of the country – it is not nearly so green and lush, though the region is famous for it mangoes. The Dutch “Star” fort in Jaffna is reputed to be the best example of Dutch fortification anywhere in Asia – inside you can visit the Dutch Church and the King’s House.
 
  1. NATURE AND WILDLIFE
There are plenty of national parks, animal and bird sanctuaries in Sri Lanka where it is possible to view native wildlife. Of course, Sri Lanka is famous for its elephants, and you can see plenty of these at Gal Oyal National Park, Udawalawa National Park and at Handapangala. There are also leopards, bears and dears, wild boats, porcupines and monkeys. Higher up in the hill regions, live the native purple faced leaf monkey. Native species include crocodiles, the star tortoise, five different species of turtle and many snakes, though the five venomous species are rarely found in populated areas. Sri Lanka’s plant life ranges from tropical to temperate forest and from dry scrubland to lush hills. Orchids and flowering trees can be seen all over the country, and a visit to the Botanical Gardens in Kandy are a must.




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